The LEC plans on bringing its players back to the studio in Berlin next week, sources confirmed to Inven Global after a report from Dot Esports was published. It will be the first time LEC players take to the stage in-person since the conclusion of the summer split in August last year. In the past weeks, the teams have all played from their houses or training facilities.

It is unclear what precautions the LEC will take in order to combat the spread of COVID-19 among the players. Last year, when the studio partially opened up during the summer split, only the players participating in the first, third, and fifth game were allowed back in the LEC studio, giving the production team enough time to clean the area in-between matches.

Since August, the COVID-19 cases in Germany steadily rose until the end of November. The past month, however, the numbers of positive corona tests have spiked immensely. The 7-day average of positive tests has climbed up from roughly 37,000 to 178,000, a record number since the start of the pandemic.

LEC teams have felt the surge in numbers too. All of G2 Esports' players and coaches were infected simultaneously two weeks ago, and Team Vitality top laner Barney "Alphari" Morris was bound to his home in the first week of the spring split.

While the players and a limited amount of support staff will join the production team in the studio, it appears that neither press nor fans will be able to attend the LEC in-person just yet.